In Another Life
by vampirealchemist13
Summary: In another life, Mike wasn't expelled and went to Harvard. In another life, Harvey still needs an associate because he's still the best closer. And, in another life, they make a great team - in AND out of the office (even if out of the office takes a little longer). Eventual Marvey - potential rating change later
1. In Another Life

**A/N:** This story is hopefully going to build to its 'T' rating (possibly changing to an M at the end) and is male x male, so if that bothers you, I suggest you enjoy a hot cup of "buzz off". Seriously, don't flame for something you know you're going to hate right off the bat.

I firmly believe that Mike and Harvey will always find their way to each other as the team to beat all teams, regardless of what happens beforehand. So despite the fact that Mike still attends Harvard, he still finds his way into Harvey's interview room looking like a puppy who needs someone else to clean up his mess. 3

* * *

Mike stepped through the door, prepared for his entire future to be flushed down the toilet, when he spotted the grandfatherly-looking gentleman at Dean Lopata's desk.

"Sorry, sir, am I in the wrong room?" The man at the desk was definitely not Dean Lopata.

"No, you're in the right place, Mr. Ross. Please sit down." Mike waited for the other man to speak first, unsure of why the usual Dean wasn't sitting behind the desk that still had his name plate sitting on the finished cherry wood. "It seems, Mr. Ross, that the woman your friend sold the test answers to was Dean Lopata's daughter." He felt all the blood drain from his face.

"Though he still has until the end of the year, it has been requested that his resignation be tendered. However, I - and a few others on the Board - felt it would be a conflict of interest for him to be the one who rendered punishment to the person responsible, so I am here in his stead to listen to Mr. Evans' case and, now, to what you have to say. I am Dean Eliots, and my decision will be final, so…" Here, he folded his hands on the desk in front of him and peered at Mike through very old-looking spectacles. "…what did you come here to tell me?"

Mike breathed deep, trying to squash the feelings of abject horror in his stomach. Trevor was _still_ protecting him, protecting his future, and Mike was about to ruin all that… _why?_

 _Because I still have to live with myself every day after this_ , he though, steeling his resolve and beginning.

"Sir, I know you offered Trevor Evans a way to avoid expulsion. Well, the reason he didn't take it is he was…he was trying to protect me. He's the one who sold the test, but I'm the one who took it so please - _please_ \- do not punish him for his loyalty to me." By the time he had finished, Mike was looking down at his hands, but he snapped his head up when the other man started laughing. Not just a chuckle, either, but a full-blown laugh.

"Trust me, Mr. Ross. I - as my predecessor was - am well aware you're the one who wrote down the answers for Mr. Evans. He's not even in that particular class, but you're his roommate and you _are_ in that class. You actually scored perfectly." Mike did his best to look abashed, but it was pretty difficult with the man across from him giving a raised eyebrow and a knowing smirk. "I'd say congratulations, but I think we both know you were going to ace it."

"I know this won't go anywhere towards helping my case, but does having an eidetic memory qualify as cheating?" He knew this probably wasn't the time to be joking - he had no idea how this was going to go - but this man reminded him so much of his father. Years older, obviously, but even when Mike had been in trouble, his father had always made him laugh. It was how he always ended up telling the truth.

"When you use it the correct way, no, it doesn't. However, given the fact that you're choosing to admit to your actions, particularly given your friend's silence and everything you have on the line here - yes, I know about your scholarship and your acceptance to Harvard - I'm inclined to hear you out before passing judgement. However…" Here, he leaned forward in his seat to place his chin in his folded hands…and there was that smirk again. Mike had to suppress a snort as an image of Albus Dumbledore took hold - albeit with a much shorter beard and a distinct lack of wizard robes - as the man continued. "…be advised, Mr. Ross. I am a father of 8 and a grandfather of 19. I am a very skilled bullshitter. Therefore, I'd recommend the truth in this particular instance."

As if Mike was considering anything else right now.

And so he told him. About the fraternity brothers he held a grudge against that had held a grudge against him. About the money Trevor loaned him that they had been tricked out of that Mike had, of course, been obliged to pay him back.

Eliots was silent for a few moments, contemplating the story Mike had told (and he had been truthful - leaving out that Trevor needed that money back to repay a drug dealer wasn't lying, it was omission).

"Mr. Ross, why do you want to be a lawyer?" And then he explained about the accident that led him to living with Trevor's family and the check and his grandmother and his love of the law…the kind of law that delivered _justice._ Not the arbitrary "pot is legal or illegal" kind of law, but the kind of law that dictates what one person should know better than to do to another person.

It was a question he had answered many times, but after this meeting, he didn't think anyone had given him as important of a response as Eliots did.

"And where does selling test answers fall on that scale of yours, Mr. Ross?"

"It ranks, sir. Higher than you'd think, given my actions, but in the grand scheme of what I owe Trevor - what he's done for me - it's not the first time I've compromised what I believe in."

"And has it occurred to you that had you let the notion of revenge go, you wouldn't have needed to compromise to pay Mr. Evans back?" Mike gave a soft sigh and gave a shake of his head, looking down at his folded hands.

"Every minute of the last 24 hours, sir. It's why I'm sitting here in front of you. Trevor may have sold the answers and it may have been his idea on how I could repay him, but it was my stupid grudge that put him in that position."

"Mr. Ross." Mike looked up from his hands and saw the man had circled around to lean against the desk directly in front of him. "I told you I'm a skilled bullshitter and you, at least at this particular moment, are one of the most truthful individuals I've ever had to deal with. I hope you realize you'll need to get good poker face when you're a lawyer?" Mike caught the _'when'_ and it gave him enough hope to kick back a little joke.

"Poker is what got me into this mess, sir." He was relieved to see the man smile and rub his chin a bit, seemingly in thought. He waited with bated breath for the other man to speak again.

"Mr. Ross, I'm going to have the campus police issue you a citation for underage alcohol consumption and I am going to require you to complete 100 hours of community service in the next two months before you graduate. Basically, you'll have no free time between your service, job, and classes to get in trouble - particularly with your current roommate, who will be placed on academic suspension.

"Speaking of Mr. Evans, I hope you're aware that with his grades, he's already on track to not graduate on time, so I'd advise you have a conversation with your friend and convince him to pull his head out of his ass." Mike nearly choked on a laugh, despite the seriousness of the advice he was being given and the surprise at finding out Trevor didn't have the grades to graduate right now. "I believe you could make a great lawyer one day young man - you simply need to remember to surround yourself with the right influences. Keep your nose clean for two more months and, as difficult as you're going to find this, keep a safe distance from that roommate of yours. You'll find yourself in quite a few more situations like this otherwise."

Mike sat speechless in the chair for a few moments before realizing the gravity of the situation - no marks on his academic record, nothing to make Harvard rescind his acceptance, neither him or Trevor were going to jail…

"Mr. Ross, unless there's something further you'd like to say, I believe you have class in fifteen minutes?"

SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS

"What am I doing?" Cold water dripped from his face, but he still felt hot - too hot - and his heart was beating fast enough to fall out of his chest. Words from over four years ago rang through his ears. _Keep yourself a safe distance from that roommate of yours. You'll find yourself in quite a few more situations like this otherwise._

And hadn't that been the truth? Graduated for three months, he'd chosen to take a few months off to take care of his grandmother before job hunting. Career-wise, not the brightest move, but his grandmother hadn't needed quite as much care when he graduated. Now he wished he'd searched for a job - at least then he wouldn't need the cash for her medical care as immediately as he did right now.

He wouldn't have needed to ask Trevor for help again. And didn't that just scream 'typical' of his life?

 _You do this and you're done. You never need to ask him for another damn thing again. Come on, Mike, one more…_

SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS

"Rick Sorken?" He heard Donna call the name a third time and rolled his eyes. Who doesn't show up to a scheduled interview? Sure, the kid was probably just caught in traffic or something, but even if he showed up now, Donna wouldn't event let him back.

Harvey poured another glass of water, wishing for the (how many interviews had he had already, twelve?) twelfth time that he was allowed to drink hard liquor during these interviews.

"Excuse me, Mr. Sorken, you are five minutes late. Is there a reason I should let you in?" Of course she wouldn't let him in - five minutes late in their world meant you'd already lost the client, lost the upper hand, and lost the case. He didn't hear a response - he didn't need to.

But he saw Donna turn to him with an impressed smirk and a wink and he nearly dropped his water glass. Late _and_ clever? Maybe this kid was another Harvey.

He unbuttoned his jacket, slipped his left hand into his pocket, and strode to the door - Donna's signal to let the kid know he could come back.

And damn if the _kid_ didn't look like a kid - he'd almost go so far to say _jailbait_ if this were a more appropriate moment…which it definitely wasn't.

"Harvey Spectre, hi."

"Yeah, uh, Rick Sorken." Harvey nearly stopped to give the kid a raised eyebrow - who stuttered over their own name? - but he let it slide. Out of thirteen candidates thus far, this was the only one to get a wink - he had to at least see why.

"Have a seat."

"Tha—" And then the briefcase dumped, leaving Harvey wondering if his "jailbait" assessment hadn't been more appropriate than he thought.

SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS

"Woah." Mike wasn't really sure what to do, but the cocky smile on the other man - _Harvey -_ told him he wasn't quite in trouble yet. Of course, he had to control himself when that smirk appeared - he'd thought the man was sexy on first sight, but that look? That look should be illegal - _which is funny, because he's a lawyer,_ Mike thought stupidly. _Dammit, Ross, focus! Potential jail situation, first -_ then _ogle the hot interviewer._

"I don't suppose you'd let me explain before you call the police?" He watched Harvey drop into the chair, lean back, and spread his hands wide.

"Tell me a story."

For a moment, Mike felt a flashback to those short thirty minutes in Dean Lopata's office speaking to Dean Eliots about his past and what remained of his future. Honesty had been the best policy then, right?

So Mike started with his graduation from Harvard, his decision to take care of his grandmother first, and the subsequent need for a large amount of cash immediately. He explained how he had wound up in Harvey's interview room with an open briefcase of pot instead of in the hands of the people who were waiting to haul him to jail. As he told the story, he realized just how ridiculous it sounded, but Harvey seemed to be enjoying it.

"How did you know they were cops?"

"I read this novel in elementary school; pretty much the same exact thing."

"You read a novel…in elementary school." Mike shrugged, comfortable enough to know he wasn't getting handed to the cops in the next ten minutes at least.

"What? I like to read."

"And why'd you ask them what time it was?"

"To throw them off. I mean, what kind of drug dealer asks a cop what time it is when he's got a briefcase full of pot, right?"

"Jesus, we should hire you. I'd give you the $25,000 just as a signing bonus." Mike's heart stopped - he wasn't this lucky.

"I'll take it." Harvey gave him a _calm down_ look and a smirk.

"I'm not in the habit of hiring drug dealers."

"Lucky, I'm not in the habit of being one. Although I understand if you want to go with one of the other guys out there. I get it - it's fun to hang out with people who aren't that bright. You know, just to see how the other half lives." And there was that sexy smirk again.

"You've been in here for twenty-five minutes," _about twenty longer than I've even_ wanted _the others in here,_ "and I don't know anything about you besides you read novels in elementary school and you can _almost_ avoid getting caught with a briefcase full of pot."

"What if I say I consume knowledge like no one you've ever met and I actually passed the Bar before I started at Harvard?" Harvey snorted.

"I'd say you're full of shit." He spotted the BarBri Legal handbook sitting to Harvey's left and pointed.

"Read me something out of that handbook. Pick a page - one that _isn't_ the page with all the authors - and start reading." He could tell from Harvey's facial expression that he was skeptical, but Mike was ok with that. Those were the best type of people to prove wrong.

"Civiil liability associated with agency is based on several factors, including…" As Harvey began reading, he remembered sitting in his apartment, Trevor watching some crap television in the background, flipping pages in an effort to prove both Dean Eliots and that dickhead from his non-required pre-law class wrong. He _did_ have time to do other (more productive than smoking pot) things, and he could pass the Bar before even going to law school. Of course, if he was wrong, that fail would always be on his record when applying for jobs.

Of course he ended up being right.

The page appeared in his mind and he continued from where Harvey was as though the page were right in front of him.

"Including the deviation of the agent from his path, the reasonable inference of agency on behalf of the plaintiff, and the nature of the damages themselves." Here he stopped quoting and made actual eye contact with Harvey. _Damn_ the man had impressive eyes. _Stop it, Mike_. "Although I've always had a bit of a disagreement with some of my professors on what qualifies as _reasonable_ ," he said with a smirk.

"Eidetic memory?" Mike nodded. "So why take it before going to law school and risk the fail?"

"Some dickhead in my pre-law class bet me I couldn't pass the Bar without going to law school."

"Seems you've got an issue with betting, kid." The part of Mike that had always hated being called "kid" _wanted_ to bristle at the nickname, but even it was tamped down by a different part of Mike. A part that…liked it?

"I only take bets I know I can win…as long as someone's not adjusting the odds behind the scenes," he added, remembering the situation that had nearly caused his expulsion. "Although I usually think I _can_ win, so I guess that would qualify as a betting problem." His smart-ass comment was rewarded with another smirk - _what does it get this guy to actually smile?_

SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS

After a quick demonstration of the kid's law ability (where he floored Harvey while playing _hearts -_ he really was another Harvey), some more witty comments that confirmed exactly why Donna had given the wink, and a layout of his expectations (in a much gentler way than he usually would deliver which had absolutely _nothing_ to do with any _other_ expectations he wanted to lay out for the…kid wasn't really an appropriate way to end that thought), Harvey found himself sitting at the laptop e-mailing Jessica about their new associate.

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 **A/N: Please Review :)**


	2. Perfect for Right Now

**A/N:** All relevant information is in the first chapter. Only thing I have additional is that I didn't feel like writing Harvey to be bi or Scotty as-is in the show, so Scotty's a guy. Events jump around a bit and I'm not a fan of completely rewriting scenes that have already happened in the show, so sometimes I'll just gloss over the events of an episode. Also Harvey obviously doesn't have to cover for Mike not being a Harvard grad, so that makes some of the episodes/blackmail material people use not relevant.

* * *

It started pretty slowly. After all, Harvey was certainly no stranger to working with attractive people. He wasn't even a stranger to Donna reminding him that he _couldn't_ sleep with the attractive intern or the client…or the client's attractive son. In fairness, that hadn't happened in quite awhile and nothing had actually happened. Harvey had amazing self-control.

He also had rules. No one at work (not unless he counted Donna and that was a _long_ time ago - she'd forgiven him eventually for not admitting that he only slept with women after copious amounts of alcohol. In her words, it was completely understandable that she could make a gay guy go straight). No one married. No one at work.

And he had to remind himself of that every time Mike goddamn Ross walked by.

"Harvey…" He moved his eyes from trailing the well-dressed man making his way back to his cubicle to the knowing eyes of his all-seeing secretary.

"Yeah, I got it, Donna." She winked.

"I know you got it. I'm just reminding you about your 9 o'clock."

It was a code she'd worked out after 48 hours of Mike starting work - reminding him about a meeting - and Harvey had picked up on it only a few uses later (which turned out to be under three hours).

A meeting was easy - all he had to do was show up, say a few words, possibly settle (if it was a good day) and that was it. It was her way of telling him to get laid to deal with it - at least for the time being.

"The time being" ended up being a full year, during which Harvey drank more (not that it showed) and definitely "closed" more one night stands than he had in all four years of undergrad, much less law school.

Until about a year after Mike started, when one of Harvey's former classmates - and a once long-time boyfriend - paid him a visit and shit hit the fan.

SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS

Mike knew reading briefs and case files and other things in important stacks wasn't the brightest thing to do when walking past the elevators, but after one year, nothing bad had happened yet.

Famous last words.

"Oh, wow…I'm so sorry…" He bent down to start picking up papers, prepared for whatever irate client he'd just bumped into to start berating him or walk away. With his luck, this would be the next client he'd be dealing with. So he was surprised when someone actually bent down to help him collect papers.

"No harm, no foul. I do the same thing." A stack of haphazard papers made their way onto Mike's no-longer-organized pile - good thing he color-coded his highlighting. He looked up to apologize again, but the other man - six foot six, slim but built (like Harvey… _don't think about Harvey_ ), and dressed in a suit that would have been impressive if he didn't know Harvey ( _DON'T THINK ABOUT HARVEY)_ \- put up a hand. "I figure if I only knock into someone once every fifty times, it's worth it. Like I said, no big deal." Mike offered a smile instead.

"Sorry again - Mike Ross." He awkwardly stuck a hand out while keeping the papers balanced.

"Dane Scott - friends call me Scotty. Could you tell me where to find Harvey Specter?"

"Oh, no problem - I'm headed there now. You can buy me time to get this mess back in order," Mike smiled.

"Stalling - now that, I'm good at," the man - Scotty - said with a wink and a mock salute, walking right through Harvey's door without knocking. Mike nearly dropped his files - only four people at this firm got away with that, and Harvey could identify every one of them without even looking.

Granted, Donna and Jessica's heels usually made some sort of noise (or their nails scraped on the door) and Louis had a habit of either breathing heavily (from storming in in a huff) or immediately spitting out what he had to say, which really meant he was probably using process of elimination to determine it was Mike walking through the door when he did.

So why did his chest hurt just a little when he heard Harvey, who had never gotten it wrong before, say, "Is knocking really that foreign to you, Mike? I hope you've got those briefs ready or this is going to be a long night for you."

The door shut before he could hear Scotty's response, but Mike saw Harvey look up. The senior partner looked from Scotty to Donna before his eyes settled on Mike for a half a second - a half second that nearly crushed Mike - before turning back to Scotty with a smile.

A _smile._ What the _hell?_

"Mike. Mike! You need to stop staring." He looked down to see Donna had already organized the color-coded files back into their proper folders. "Don't expect me to do this for you every time you dump your files." If Mike had been paying proper attention, he would have commented that she'd done it for him three times before, and he had always properly repaid her with coffee, but he couldn't speak.

Instead, he dropped his eyes to the all-powerful redhead.

"Who is that?"

"Scotty? They went to law school together." Mike's chest relaxed. "And dated for about three years." And was that a heart attack he was having?

Donna looked at him with pity and Mike was tempted to roll his eyes, just like he was when he realized that _of course_ Donna knew he had developed a hero crush on his boss that blew into this…utterly ridiculous need to make the man happy.

Not that it was a feat he thought himself possible of accomplishing.

"Mike, you know…"

"I know, Donna."

"Mike, if—"

"Donna," he closed his eyes and took a deep breath—the same way he always got through these moments—"I know."

"Mike, look at me." He almost didn't, but then her hand covered his and he had to. "I know how much it hurts, but here's what _you_ have to know and what you have to remember: the relationship that you and Harvey have is perfect…for right now. And some day it won't be right now, but right now it is. Does that make sense?"

Of course it made sense. It always made sense. He'd heard it six different ways at least once a month from her, and he always scoffed at it right away. But it would help for a few weeks until she had to remind him. And if he could make it through five, maybe six, more years of this, then Mike wouldn't be an associate anymore and the bylaws wouldn't be standing in the way anymore.

But would someone else?

SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS

Harvey was lucky he was so generous every year for secretary's day, or Donna might have stopped playing relationship mediator for him.

He didn't help his goddamn chances with keeping her in that position when he let Scotty show up on the Pearson Darby doorstep, though. _Pearson Darby_ , she scoffed. Jessica better get her head out of her goddamn ass soon - there was only one name that belonged up there with Jessica's and it damn well wasn't Edward Darby, especially with all this Ava Hessington nonsense going on.

It hadn't taken long for her to figure out either one of them. Quite frankly, with the amount of late nights at the office and the times Mike had found himself drunk at Harvey's place (she could always tell those nights from the rest), she was surprised neither one of them had figured the other out.

She didn't delude herself into thinking she could handle this the next five years. Eventually, one of them would let it slip to the other (or maybe, by some miracle, they'd actually figure it out) and it would be a completely different ball game. But for much of the first few months, there was a very clear physical attraction on both sides.

She wasn't sure how Mike had dealt with it, but Harvey got blackout drunk and screwed a different Mike look-alike every night for two weeks. Eventually, he got the _need_ , but certainly not the desire, for Mike's body out of his head.

Except Donna was at the interview. She was the one who let him in - late, but in her defense, she thought he was someone else - and she had sent the wink. She had known that as soon as the physical part was out of the way, Harvey would realize the entire attraction wasn't over. He was starting to fall for Mike's mind.

And why wouldn't he? Mike was the perfect balance of Harvey and Louis - she shivered at the image that presented, but couldn't deny the reality - but there was a sliver in him that was all his own. Harvey loved the spirit of the law, but sometimes he loved to win more. He was willing to bluff, but he never broke the law — bent, absolutely, but never breaking. Louis loved the letter of the law. Yes, he cared for the spirit as well, but in his mind, words were binding and the only thing in this world that would and could never let him down.

Mike loved everything about the law except the part that meant he had to defend a client he would rather see rot in the ground. And that was why Donna kept helping…at least in her own special way. Because that part of Mike that was willing to make sure the client won _and_ justice was dealt - the part that _cared_ , but got him into trouble more times than Donna was willing to go back over and count? _That_ was the part of Mike that was purely him - the part that had gotten Harvey to learn how to trust and to care and be open again.

Because no matter what Mike did, he never did anything to screw over Harvey.

Six months ago, when Jessica had demanded Mike betray Harvey or risk being fired himself, he had politely told her to fuck off. She even remembered Jessica quoting to Harvey exactly what his "little brat" had told her.

 _"You better reign that puppy of yours in, Harvey - he's got a bark, and I'd hate to see what happens to him if he bites."_

 _"He's going to get a treat and a new chew toy if he bites where I've taught him to. If he's biting you, that means you're putting your hand where it doesn't belong. So tell me, Jessica, where are you putting your hand exactly?"_

 _"It doesn't really matter - just keep him on a short leash before he ends up in the pound."_

 _"Why are we suddenly only referring to Mike as a puppy now?"_

 _"Because the damn kid told me that even though Pearson Hardman is currently signing his checks, he works for Harvey Specter and if I think I can bribe him or extort him into turning on the boss he owes everything to, I should find a more desperate associate." Before Harvey could interrupt, she continued. "He then proceeded to assure me that even if I could find a way to make him turn on his boss, it would be a cold day in the hell that I apparently rule over before he would turn on his friend. Loyalty like that? Kid's a damn Saint Bernard."_

 _"And you're a Doberman, Jessica. Stay away from my puppy."_

She had to wonder what Mike's reaction would be if he ever knew Harvey had called him that.

SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS

"So, Mike, why the sleepover at Harvey's last night?" Mike was still distracted and peeking up into Harvey's office every few seconds to see if it was safe for him to walk in, so he didn't really notice when he started answering of his own volition.

"I was too drunk to bike home, and it…wait, how'd you know I crashed on his couch?" She wagged a finger.

"Ah ah ah, you know the rules. I asked first - I don't reveal my _how_ without proper payment for such knowledge." Mike sighed, running his fingers through his hair - he knew it was one of his tells for when he was agitated, but Donna knew them all anyway, so who was he trying to hide it from?

Harvey? That though had him dropping his arm and glancing back in the office - Harvey didn't seem to notice.

"Trevor's back in town and, once again, I'm not really sure how to handle it. Harvey's advice, as always, was to ignore his calls and stay with him so Trevor can't find me."

"But?"

"But he's my childhood best friend." Removing the world 'childhood' changed the person that term referred to by a wide margin. "This is a guy who begged his parents to take me in after mine were gone and my grandmother couldn't take care of me. Who didn't sell me out to the cops."

"Who put you in a position where you needed to be kept from being sold out to the cops?"

"Alright, is Harvey inhabiting your body now?"

"I don't know - would that suddenly make you into women?" Mike chosen and focused on fighting down a rising blush, refusing to admit that it quite possibly could. After all, he'd slept with enough Harvey look-alike stand-ins to know that as much as he appreciated the wrapping, he wanted the whole package.

"Are you going to explain how you knew?"

"Oh that's easy - he was in a good mood this morning, there wasn't one of twenty records that would indicate he was planning on "closing" that evening, and there weren't used scotch glasses on his coffee table that would indicate someone came by with news after work." Mike was silent for nearly thirty seconds before he could finally respond.

"Ok, you've always impressed me, but how did you know the records thing?"

"Oh, I didn't…I made that part up. And the scotch part, while true, isn't how I knew. It was the good mood."

"But…"

"Donna, could you send Mike in?" She tilted her head in a _go on_ motion, cutting off his impending question.

How did Harvey being in a good mood equate to Mike staying the night? He put it out of his mind.

"Mike, this is Scotty, short for—"

"Dane Scott. We met by the elevators." Mike gave a nod and a small smile to the other man who was lounging casually in one of the chairs. He was secretly pleased to see it wasn't Mike's spot…not that Mike had a spot. "Briefs for Carrington, Wells, and the information you wanted for Ava's case."

"I didn't need Wells for two more days."

"Louis didn't need anything and I had time." Harvey raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe I should find more work for you to do."

"I'm already pretty convinced you and Louis are colluding on the best possible times to hand me work, and by best, I mean worst." Harvey spread his hands in a _so what_ motion. "You know I'll get whatever you hand me done, but if I walk out of here and Louis hands me a stack of briefs, you'll never be able to convince me any differently."

"Conspiracy theories…I like this kid." Mike tried not to bristle at Scotty calling him a kid - only Harvey got to do that without irritation. Jessica did it simply because she _knew_ it irritated him. Still, he put on a fake "serious" face and gave a finger point.

"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you."

"Catch-22, good choice." Mike shrugged.

"I read."

"Was that one in the second or third grade?" He saw the confused look pass over Scotty's face - the man was probably about to say Catch-22 wasn't age appropriate or something like that - but Mike cut him off, turning back to Harvey with a hand over his heart.

"You wound me, Harvey. I knocked that sucker out in Kindergarten."

"Uh huh, just make sure you're back here for the—"

"Ten o'clock with Relles? Or at the courthouse at one? Or…"

"I get it - you're your own Donna. Now scram." But he said it with that same sexy smirk that landed Mike in this office in the first place (the job offer itself was working out pretty well, too) so Mike gave a mock bow, a nod to Scotty, and walked out of the office in a far happier mood than he'd walked in with.

Because Donna was right - whatever relationship they had was _perfect_ for right now. And he could be jealous over something he couldn't even have and ruin it, or he could hope that he still got his chance and still have the best (and probably hottest) boss/friend who let him crash on his couch, drink his expensive scotch, and try to walk through his problems with other not-as-best-anymore friends anyone could even dream of having.

For the time being at least, he'd choose the couch.

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 **A/N: Please Review! :)**


	3. Change in the Status Quo

**A/N:** I like to think my Scotty isn't as petty and argumentative as the one on the show :) All the warnings are in the first chapter. Also, I think it's pretty clear this story is WILDLY unbetaed, so forgive my mistakes?

 _Disclaimer:_ I OWN NOTHING - that should be abundantly clear, but I forgot to put it in the first chapter so just in case you weren't sure, I'm just using these characters for my own creative amusement. I don't actually own anything.

 **Enjoy**

* * *

 _Right Now_ turned into three more months before something changed.

They had a routine established—late nights at the office would predictably turn into late nights at Harvey's on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Mike didn't ask what Harvey did on Tuesdays and Thursdays – or who – and Harvey never said. After all, Mike had never asked who he took home all those other nights before Scotty – why would Harvey share now? Why should Mike _care_ now?

Because suddenly he could put a name to the face? Because it was the _same_ face for the last three months?

He appreciated that Harvey never asked him for relationship advice – he probably had Donna to thank for that – but it still stung a _lot_ knowing that even though Harvey let him keep spare suits in the hall closet, Scotty probably had a drawer.

Scotty – according to Donna – was apparently ok with the fact that Harvey chose to spend every Friday night doing a Beer-and-Star-Trek-Marathon, which just made Mike more irritated – who doesn't get mad that the person they're seeing is essentially seeing someone else?

"Mike, Harvey doesn't do relationships," she had explained one morning after he'd finally worked up the nerve to ask. Harvey, of course, was at court – nowhere near where he could overhear.

"So he and Scotty are just…"

"Friends with benefits? Fuck buddies? Yeah." But even _that_ had hurt. "Of course, Scotty has always wanted more, but Harvey has always made his opinion on that pretty clear."

"Why?" She gave him the _duh_ look. "Because being a relationship means he has to act like he cares."

"It means he _has_ to care, Mike. That's not something you just act. And even if it were, Harvey ain't that good, kid."

"He could be if he wanted to," Mike argued weakly, glancing at the empty office. He always hated when it was empty.

"But why would you or Scotty or anyone else want him to?" She was right. She was _Donna_ – of course she was right.

SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS

It was the buzz of his cell phone at two a.m. that told him something was wrong.

 _I know its Tuesday but I'm outside your door and I need someone to talk to._

Mike. He was from the bed to the door in less than five seconds, including the two it took to close the door quietly.

He should've looked through the peep hole – should've given himself that split second preparation it would've afforded him. But Mike _needed_ him – how could he waste any more time?

But the red-rimmed eyes and defeated posture spoke of something other than drunkenness or pot.

"Mike…" _Please don't let it be what I think it is._

"She had a heart attack, Harvey. The doctor thinks she has another month – less, obviously if it happens again. And I know Scotty's here and I don't care about that or work or anything else right now – just needed my friend."

And before Harvey could respond, Mike lost it and fell into his arms. He shifted just enough to let the door swing shut softly and stood holding Mike in the entry way for at least ten minutes. It didn't matter that Scotty was in the next room or that everything he had been telling himself he couldn't have had literally just thrown itself into his lap.

That same _everything_ didn't need Harvey Specter, greatest closer in New York and he certainly didn't need his boss right now. So Harvey gathered Mike into his arms – the kid was way too light – and brought him over to the couch, settling him in the same spot he always insisted was _his_ during Star Trek marathons. It had gotten to the point where Harvey found himself trying to keep Scotty from sitting there. Not too obviously – he was fairly certain Scotty hadn't noticed yet, because honestly who notices something as stupid as where someone sits?

When Mike was huddled on the couch, arms wrapped around his legs and shaking, Harvey forced himself to move. Writing out a quick note to Scotty to make sure the other man didn't come out and make Mike any more uncomfortable than he clearly already was – his next had specifically mentioned it being Thursday, which meant he knew Harvey's schedule on the nights he wasn't with Mike. Not that it was a big secret – and he wasn't _with_ Mike, so why did _that_ thought hurt so much?

He looked at the note he was placing on the side table and then looked at Scotty.

 _Mike's grandmother had a heart attack – we're in the living room. He knows you're here, but I don't think he's ready to see anyone else right now. xxH_

He and Scotty had an arrangement – no strings attached, despite the strings Scotty kept trying to stick on when he wasn't looking. Was it fair to the other man? Definitely not. But if Scotty wanted out, he knew how to get out. So why was he placing a note on the table? To let him know Harvey wasn't in the habit of inviting one of them over when the other was in bed? No…

Much as he remembered their days in law school with fondness and he respected the other man as a very capable lawyer (even one working for the enemy, Edward Darby), Harvey Reginald Specter had finally learned to care about someone else and it wasn't Scotty. He wasn't doing it for Scotty's feelings.

He didn't want Mike to have to see Scotty.

The barely shaking shoulders gave away an otherwise-still frame that Harvey would have guessed had already fallen asleep. He padded to the kitchen, poured a glass of his best, and placed it in Mike's hands, holding the young associate's hands between his and the cup.

"Chocolate milk, really?"

"You don't need alcohol right now, Mike, and you know it. It's why you showed up here sober in the first place. Besides, the desperate times call for desperate measures. When I've had a bad day or a rough case, I turn to scotch. When I wish it was the last day I have to deal with or everything is falling apart, I turn to this."

"You're such a dork," Mike mumbled, pulling the straw between his lips nevertheless. It was a testament to how worried about the kid he was that that image didn't conjure up any other ones immediately. It would later, he was sure.

"Clearly, you trust my dorky way of handling things or you wouldn't be here."

"Well, if I'd have known I was going to get chocolate milk…" Harvey raised an eyebrow.

"If you don't like it, you can give it back." Mike shook his head and sucked down some more chocolate milk. The shaking had stopped, although Harvey saw a few tears still leaking. "When did it happen?"

"Around seven—I waited until she woke up and insisted I get my ass home since I have work tomorrow."

"Absolutely not," Harvey said, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Mike leaned into him and tucked his head under Harvey's chin, still clutching a near-empty glass between his hands. "I'm an absolute bastard of a boss, but if you think you're coming in tomorrow, I'm pulling off the act far too well."

"But I still have work for Ava's case to finish, and…"

"And I'm perfectly capable of taking over some of your work for a day or two; I was an associate once upon a time. Maybe I can't read as fast, and maybe I don't have an eidetic memory, but you'll find I'm quite capable regardless."

"Harvey, I…"

"Wait." Mike immediately pressed his lips together and waited patiently for Harvey to spit it out. "Seven?"

"Yeah, they called me when I was about two steps outside the firm. By the time I got there, she was stable, but I didn't want to leave until she woke up or I had to get back to work tomo—today." Harvey wound his other arm around Mike and pulled him close.

"Why the hell didn't you call me, Mike? I would've been there – you shouldn't have had to deal with that alone."

"I knew you were busy, Harvey." He tried to shoot a pointed look at the direction of Harvey's bedroom, but his position tucked against Harvey's chest made that difficult.

"Mike, I need to you to listen to me and _believe_ me when I say this—above anything else, you're my friend. I don't care if you know I'm in the middle of the biggest case of my life; you call me. I may not get the call until recess, but you can bet your ass I'll call for a reschedule or call Louis in if I need to as soon as I see that message. I'll be more upset that you feel like you come second to work than if you interrupt work—or anything else," he added when Mike went to look towards the bedroom again. "You're my _friend_ first, Mike, and that means something to me." He hadn't meant to make Mike cry again, but at least his message seemed to get across.

He'd be lying if he said he didn't hear the sound of his bedroom door _snick_ shut.

SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS

Mike woke up in the morning and was unsure if he should be relieved or horrified that Harvey had stayed with him all night. Whether or not Harvey and Scotty were in a relationship, he and Harvey _couldn't_ be—at least not right now—and falling asleep curled against the man's side with one of Harvey's arms protecting him from the rest of the world was not how he was going to continue to convince himself of that.

So at six am, when he heard the alarm in Harvey's room go off—of course Harvey was too deep a sleeper to hear it—he forced himself to look away from Harvey's sleeping form and crawl out from under his arm. Harvey certainly didn't make it easy; every time Mike made a movement, the arm curled in tighter. He tucked the blanket around Harvey and crept towards the door, telling himself it was a bad idea to look behind him.

He did anyways. Whether they were in a relationship or not, Scotty was lucky he got to wake up every other morning to that.

He knew if he went to work, Harvey would be angry at him, so he decided to spend the day at the hospital with his grandmother working on some of the briefs he had taken home and researching more into Ava's case. He wouldn't have the same resources at home that he would at the firm, but at least he'd feel useful.

After making a quick stop at his apartment and changing from his slept-in suit (regardless of circumstances, he was pretty impressed Harvey hadn't made a comment about ruining the suit last night – he probably already thought it was ruined, given the price), he caught a cab to the firm to grab his bike.

Of course, who should step from the cab in front of him but Scotty?

"Mike!" He hated and admired Scotty for being so relaxed around him. "I thought Harvey told you not to come in today?"

"Hey, Scotty – I'm just grabbing my bike and going to visit my grandmother." Scotty nodded.

"Sorry to hear about that." Mike nodded his thanks; he wasn't quite ready to talk about that with anyone else yet. "If you need anything…"

"Thanks, Scotty. I've got to get going." He really didn't, but he really didn't want to sit out here talking awkwardly to Scotty. It wasn't just that it was him – he didn't really want to talk to anybody – but this was the definition of awkward and he was not up for that today. He was getting ready to push off when Scotty caught his attention one more time.

"Hey, Mike…" Steeling himself, he turned to see Scotty looking as cool and collected as he always did on the outside, but Mike saw the uncertainty that plagued him every time he looked in the mirror. "Look, I know this probably isn't the right time, but I figured I'd let you know…I'm leaving New York. I'm going back to London."

"Is everything alright?" Why was Mike even asking? Why did he _care?_ Wasn't this what he wanted?

Not if it made Harvey unhappy.

"Well, Edward is completely adrift right now with all the nonsense happening here with Ava, so he can't really focus the way he needs to. The business I had to deal with over here is done, and I there's nothing else really keeping me here."

"What about…"

"Harvey?" He finished with a wry smile. "Why do you think I'm telling you all this right now? I think we both know Harvey doesn't care if I stay or go. He doesn't really _care_ about anything. I can count what he _does_ care about on one hand, and I don't make that list—trust me, I've tried. But you do." Mike wasn't sure what to say to that. Not to Scotty.

"Scotty, Harvey and I _can't_ be together. Whether or not he cares about me is irrelevant from that perspective." Scotty's eyes flickered behind him for the briefest moment, but then he took a deep breath and placed his hands on Mike's shoulders and refused to drop eye contact.

"But it's not, Mike. Tell me this—do you love him?"

"Of course."

"You know what I mean, Mike." Mike raised an eyebrow.

"And you know what I mean, Scotty. You know better than anyone, don't you? How do you _not_ fall in love with Harvey goddamn Specter? The man's a force of nature made up of sarcastic comments, geeky Star Trek references, and more conundrums than I could sift through in a lifetime." Chocolate milk and scotch being one of those conundrums that he was choosing not to sift through but to simply accept.

"But how either of us feels is irrelevant right now – what we are right now is what we need to be and _can_ be to each other. We're senior partner and associate, mentor and mentee, the kind of friends that everyone wishes they had. And that's what we need to be because it's what we can be without me ruining his career and landing him in front of Jessica or Louis for some crap in the bylaws that ends with him no longer being able to do the one thing I know he loves above everything else because someone thinks he forced his subordinate – even a very willing one – into something."

He didn't realize that somewhere in the middle of that, he'd started crying. Where was Donna when he needed her? She could get him to stop with one well-placed joke and a hard look. Mike jerked his head up when he felt a hand on his shoulder; Scotty had let go of his shoulders halfway through his tirade and was giving him a knowing look. The wink Scotty sent at whoever was behind him only confirmed what he had already known; he'd know Harvey's touch anywhere—it made him feel safe.

"Harv—" He whipped around to say something to the man, but Harvey was already pulling Mike's arm to urge him off the bike and locking it back to the post it had occupied the entire night prior. "Harvey, I…" When Harvey stood to look him in the eyes, Mike felt that all-too-familiar shortening of breath that made him feel like he was going to pass out. This was too much emotional trauma to deal with in less than twenty-four hours. Then he spoke.

"Mike, get in the car."

SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS

Thankfully, Mike didn't argue with him. As the younger man slid into the back of the limo, Harvey turned to see Scotty walking through the front doors. He gave his friend a small wave and a nod as thanks – they'd already said everything else this morning – and slid in beside Mike.

"Harvey, please, let me…" He quieted Mike by placing his hand atop the associate's between them, and facing forward.

"Ray, take us to Mike's grandmother." He thought it was a pretty telling sign of how well Mike knew him that he didn't even ask how Ray knew where Edith Ross had been moved after her heart attack. He wondered if Mike realized how everyone Harvey cared about cared about Mike – Harvey hadn't told Ray to look it up; he just assumed the driver had. And he had.

They drove in silence for a while; Mike had chosen to keep silent until Harvey chose to speak. In the silence, Harvey replayed his conversation with Scotty earlier that morning that culminated in the wonderful bastard forcing his and Mike's hands.

 _"Harvey, I think it's time for me to go back to London." Harvey hadn't looked up from the paper, but he certainly wasn't reading it anymore._

 _"Does that mean you have to or you want to?"_

 _"Both." This time, Harvey looked up to see Scotty had taken the seat beside him. "I know who you are, Harvey, and I think part of me has been hoping you'll change and learn how to let someone love you and love them back. And I've realized something these last few months," he said softly, reaching out both hands to clasp the hand that still had a white-knuckle grip on the now-useless newspaper. "I've realized you've already changed to be that person. I'm just not the one you love like that."_

 _"Scotty. You know me—I can't give you more than I am." He had to hand it to the man, though – no one (no one left alive anyways) besides Donna, Mike, and Jessica ever got him to actually talk like this. Certainly not when the conversation was this awkward._

 _"Especially when a certain associate already has so much of who you are." Harvey knew his eyes widened because Scotty made the same choked off giggle he usually did whenever Harvey actually made a human facial expression. "Please, Harvey – even if I hadn't seen you two last night, I have been here the last three months. And I'm still your friend, which means—as your friend—I believe I'm entitled to ask_ what the hell? _" Harvey went to reply, but as soon as he opened his mouth, Scotty added, "And if you deny it, I'll call you full of shit because we both know it. I just want to know what's stopping what you both obviously want?"_

 _"It's not that we both don't want it, Scotty. Of course we do—you can cut the goddamn sexual tension between us with a butter knife. We've both just gotten very good at keeping it under wraps."_

 _"But why? And so help me, if you quote the goddamn bylaws, I will smack you upside the head." Harvey shrugged but kept his mouth shut._

 _"I guess I take the fifth then," he mumbled. Scotty's face told him that hadn't come off as funny as he'd intended. "As long as he's my direct subordinate, it's a thin line that could easily end with either of us in front of Jessica. Given my history with her and standing in the company, Mike and I have both independently come to the conclusion that it would probably cause him his job, and he doesn't seem willing to risk that and I would never force him to."_

 _"So the two of you are going to suffer for five, maybe six, more years until the legal line isn't so thin and you can be together." Harvey shrugged._

 _"If he still seems interested in five or six more years, that's my plan."_

 _"Your…_ your _plan? You're telling me this is all based on speculation and you haven't actually had a conversation with the damn kid?"_

 _"What would be the point? Nothing can come from it except him feeling like I'm pushing him." He was suddenly very afraid for his safety; Scotty looked positively murderous._

 _"Harvey Specter, how can you be the goddamn best closer in New York – in and out of the court room, or so you claim – and you can't close this? No," he raised a hand to cut him off, "I'm going to prove this to you and beat you in closing this, at the very least, before I leave. Come on."_

That plan, he'd been told, was supposed to start with them talking to Donna. Up until now, his communication with Donna on the matter had been purely her reminded him to keep his eyes off of Mike in a way that would very clearly indicate what he was thinking. It hadn't occurred to him that Mike had been talking to her, too. Was he really that blind where the kid was concerned?

Did he even need to ask that question?

But then he'd seen Mike unlocking his bike and he was almost out the door before Scotty grabbed his arm and told him to wait until Mike wasn't facing the limo. Scotty wasn't above the "trick-them-into-being-overheard" bit, but it made Harvey a little uncomfortable to do it to Mike.

Until he heard the kid spill about everything.

 _Mike hasn't been protecting himself and his job. He's been trying to protect me._

* * *

 ** _A/N: Please Review! :)_**


	4. I Approve

**A/N:** All warnings and disclaimers already in prior three chapters :)

* * *

When they were only five minutes from the hospital, Mike had had enough. "Harvey, I'd really prefer to not have this conversation in front of my grandmother." Harvey muttered something in reply, but Mike couldn't hear him. "What?"

"You thought you were protecting me." Mike could tell from the tone that Harvey wasn't asking a question. He actually sounded…mad? "You thought I'd lose my job if we were together?"

"I wasn't sure, and I can't take that chance - Harvey, you _love_ your job." He tried to keep his voice level - he and Harvey had the ability to work each other into a shouting match if the mood took them, and he didn't want that for this conversation. But Harvey surprised him by keeping his own voice low.

"So do you."

"Well, yeah, but what does that have to do wi—oh. You figured I'd lose mine." The other man shrugged.

"I wasn't sure. And I couldn't take that chance." Harvey raised an eyebrow at his smirk.

"I suppose this is bad time to mock you about caring?" Yeah, that facial expression screamed 'bad time'. "So you were protecting me."

"It's what I'm supposed to do! I'm your mentor - your _boss_ , Mike! I'm supposed to _stop_ people from trying to fuck with your job, not inadvertently do it myself!" He was ranting at the window, like that would help his situation, but Mike reached over to thread their fingers together and waited for Harvey to take a deep breath and look at him.

"Harvey, I have trusted you every time you told me to sit tight or hang back. I may not have liked it, and I certainly may have said something to that effect, but I trusted you. As my boss and as my friend, I have trusted you to know what you were doing.

"But this affects _us._ Not the firm, not Jessica, _us._ So _you_ don't get to tell me to hang back this time. We figure this out _together_ , or I sic Donna on you." Harvey was silent for a long moment, but then Mike felt him squeeze their entwined hands.

"That's a bit extreme," he finally said.

"Desperate times," Mike replied with a shrug.

"Pizza and beers at mine tonight? So we can figure this out together?"

SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS

By the time Mike was done, Harvey was aware of two important things. The first was that he was emotionally out of his depth already, so Mike was probably going to have to help him a lot. This would inevitably end in arguments about Harvey's emotional depth (or lack thereof) and inability to open up. Then again, they were both lawyers…

The second was that Mike would be a hell of a closer one day.

"I'll have Ray swing by and pick you up when I'm close to done." Mike raised an eyebrow.

"If a certain someone hadn't hauled me off my bike, I'd have it."

"Right. Next time you get tricked into saying something that changes the nature of our relationship, I'll just let you bike off, shall I?"

"Well at least that way I get the possibility of a dramatic 80s scene - you in front of the hospital leaning against a cherry red convertible? Or maybe we could terrify some of the patients with a boombox?"

"Sure. You're a lawyer, so I'm sure you can handle whatever lawsuits result from that brilliant plan."

"Your destination, sirs." The car had pulled to a halt and Ray was getting out to open the door. Harvey slid out first, made only slightly more difficult that Mike had refused to release his hand. Not that he'd tried hard to get it back.

"Harvey." The eager Mike from a few seconds ago had been replaced by the one that sometimes shuffled into his office, looking like the proverbial puppy Jessica sometimes referred to him as. "Would you…I mean, do you—" Harvey knew what Mike wanted to ask, so he took pity on him.

"Are you asking me to meet your grandmother, Mike?" The smile that followed was worth the lost opportunity to poke a little more fun. "I'd be honored." He told Ray he'd call when he was on his way out and followed Mike into the hospital.

When they walked through the doors, though, it became apparent that Mike had asked Harvey to come with for more than to just meet his grandmother. His face was the color of the walls and the hand in his own had tightened until his knuckles matched. It was pretty clear Mike hated hospitals.

And who didn't? Even doctors hated being surrounded by the sounds of the sick they couldn't cure, the families they couldn't help. Harvey shook off his own discomfort and simply followed Mike through the corridors, up the elevator, and around the corner.

"Grammy?"

"Michael! Thank goodness - they gave me lime Jell-o! You assured me they wouldn't try to poison me, and yet here it sits! The proof is in the pudding!" Harvey glanced at Mike, unsure of how to proceed. Mike hadn't mentioned that his grandmother had signs of dementia, but Mike didn't seem to concerned when she claimed they were trying to poison her.

"Grammy, you and I both know that's not pudding - you just said so yourself. Besides, I told them to put it in the cherry. Why would I tell them to put it in a flavor I know you don't like?" And now Harvey knew where Mike got it from.

"Did you bring another doctor to see me? Look here, young man, I've about had it with needles and nonsense. You can just check that little chart and send me on my merry way, if you please."

"Would if I could, ma'am, but I'm not more a doctor than your grandson. Well," he added with a side smile at Mike, "given the way I've seen him use three band-aides where only one is necessary, I may be slightly more of a doctor than him."

"One time! And typing with a paper cut on your index finger hurts like hell!"

"Language, Michael." Harvey snickered.

"Yes, language, Michael."

"Well, you're not a doctor and you know my grandson. Let's see, well-dressed… _very_ well-dressed!…perpetual cocky smirk…drop-dead gorgeous…you must be Harvey Specter, the best darn closer in New York." Harvey wasn't sure which part of that to laugh at, so he settled for a mock low bow while Mike tried to bury his face in hands with little success.

"Sharp eye for detail, even sharper wit, and the beauty of a woman half her age…you must be the famous Edith Ross." She gave him an appraising look and stared him in the eyes for a few moments before letting out a laugh.

"Well, you certainly weren't lying about the charming part, Michael. Though you may have wanted to add cheesy or kiss-ass to that list," she said with an amused huff. "And you can call me Grammy - I'm fairly certain Michael has told us about one another enough to merit it."

 _Michael_ , he noticed, hadn't said a single word since he and Edith had begun their tete-a-tete, but he was no longer blushing, and he was smiling at Harvey with an appreciative smile and his entire stance was more relaxed than when they walked in.

"Michael, would you mind going to get the nurse?"

"Is something wrong, Grammy?"

"As a matter of fact, yes - I have some things to say to this young man that I'm fairly certain you don't want to be in the room for." If Mike was this forward at his grandmother's age, Harvey was in for it.

It was lucky Mike was more focused on his Grammy than Harvey at the moment, because he nearly had a conniption when he realized what he'd just thought. He had thought of him and Mike together in nearly fifty years, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Because it was. Who else would he be with for that long? Who would be with him for that long if not Mike?

"And close the door on your way out, Michael. I'll send your young man out to you when I'm done with him. Yes, in one piece," she added when Mike opened his mouth. "Now, shoo!"

When the door shut, Harvey and Edith looked at one another for a few seconds. Harvey had been on the receiving end of this conversation many times in high school, but at thirty-five, he'd thought he wouldn't have to worry about them anymore.

Apparently, Mike and his Grammy were the exception - they were an exception Harvey was happy to handle.

"Well, Mister Specter, I suppose you know why you're here? And none of that "it's Harvey" business - for the next five minutes, it's Mister Specter and ma'am, understood?"

"Understood, ma'am. I'm here because you're going to tell me about every single thing that's going to happen to me if I break his heart, not the least of which is going to be that I'll be six feet under."

"That's mostly correct - I'm afraid I don't have the ability to quite dig the hole anymore. But you damn well better believe my spirit will follow you until you do it yourself."

"It won't be necessary, ma'am. That wasn't me predicting one of your threats; it was me delivering a promise. I can't tell you I love him, but only because I haven't actually said it to him yet, and I think you'd agree that he deserves to hear it first."

"You're a smooth talker, Mister Specter, but I'd expect nothing less from the man who's taught my grandson to be the lawyer he is. But my grandson has the naivety of an eight-year-old. It's why Trevor Evans was able to take advantage of him as often as he did. So why should I believe you?"

"Because from the moment he dropped the briefcase that didn't belong to him on the floor of an interview he hijacked and told me the story of a smart-ass kid that looked and sounded nothing like a lawyer and wanted to be one, my entire life changed and I'm committed to thanking him for that in the only way I know that can possibly compare."

"And what might that be?"

"By making sure he knows every day that there's at least one person in this world who will care about him for no other reason than because they want to. Even if he decides I'm not what he wants or needs one day, I'll still be that for him."

"Harvey, I believe it'll be a cold day in hell before you have to worry about that. I'll be sure to send a Christmas card as a warning, though." He let out a smile - she was back to Harvey, so clearly he'd passed muster - then let his usual smirk settle in place.

"You think you're going to hell?"

"Heaven sounds like hell for a woman of my personality. Now, speaking of hell, how about we stop putting my grandson through it and you go take him to work?"

"I've given him the day off; I'll be picking him up this evening after work. But I'll go say my goodbyes to him for now - I'm sure I'll be seeing you quite soon, Grammy."

"Wonderful meeting you, Harvey." She gave what passed for a saucy wink at eighty-three and lifted her hand in a small wave before turning to glare disdainfully at her jell-o while he and Mike said good-bye.

Mike was surprisingly quiet on the walk from the room to the front door, and Harvey didn't push it. He was curious, though - he'd expected to be able to tease him at least a little bit about what he and Grammy had talked about. They were in the elevator when he realized why Mike wasn't asking - the little sneak had probably listened in despite his grandmother's pointed instructions not to. And she probably knew he had been, too. He supposed it was only fair; he and Scotty had set Mike up only an hour ago.

At least he hadn't told Mike's grandmother he loved Mike before telling the man himself.

They passed an empty corridor about fifteen feet from the main lobby and Mike grabbed his arm and pulled him out of sight and off balance. Mike had backed himself against the wall and Harvey steadied himself by pushing his hands out and making contact on either side of Mike's head, caging the shorter man in.

He didn't have a chance to ask if something was wrong before Mike reached up, gripped the lapels of his Tom Ford, and fused their lips together. And then nothing was wrong - how could _anything_ be wrong when his hands were cupping Mike's face and his lips were moving softly over Mike's lips and his hips were pushing Mike's into the wall until there wasn't an inch of space between them.

After only a few seconds - not nearly long enough - he forced himself to draw back, giving Mike's bottom lip just enough of a nip to shock the younger man's eyes open. The usual ice blue eyes were dilated enough to turn the look he was sending Harvey into the very definition of bedroom eyes. _Shit_.

He closed his eyes and touched his forehead to Mike's, lowering his hands to wrap his arms tightly around the man's waist; there still wasn't a sliver of space between them.

"Sorry about your suit," Mike whispered, clearly not sorry at all.

"I'm not," Harvey replied, leaning in to kiss the corner of Mike's mouth, ducking back when Mike tried to deepen it and dropping kisses to his neck instead. "You were eavesdropping."

"Sorry," he rasped, his lips next to Harvey's ear. "Next time I listen in on a conversation that makes me want to corner you in a deserted hallway and ask you to take me against the wall, I'll let you keep walking."

"I don't recall you asking that."

"Your kissing made me go brain-dumb for a few seconds." Harvey chuckled and pulled back.

"Brain-dumb?"

"Well it wasn't brain _dead_ \- I could hear it thinking something. It just didn't make any sense." Harvey nodded, putting on his poker face.

"Brain-dumb; got it." Mike gave him a small shove and waited for him to adjust his jacket before threading their hands together and walking out to Ray.

SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS

"Gin."

"Grammy, just because you're in a hospital bed doesn't mean you get to cheat!"

"Michael, you're just going to have to accept the fact that you'll never beat your Grammy." He pointed an accusing finger.

"I won Old Maid once!" He realized belatedly how not-victorious that sounded.

"I can see from your face that you understand that is not something to shout victoriously. Also, I'm pretty sure that boy of yours will make sure that's the only type of Old Maid you have to worry about being." He'd been waiting for his turn - she'd managed to make it through three hours of card games before bringing it up. "I gather, by the length of time it took you to return, you heard our conversation?"

"You knew I would," he said with an smile. "The apple doesn't fall far, remember?"

"Your father was the same way," she said with a laugh that turned into a small cough, but went away quick enough. "Michael, are you sure? Because that man, whether he's told you or not, absolutely adores you, and I want you to be sure because that kind of love is the kind that can make or break a man."

"I know, Grammy. I think it's too late for me anyway - Harvey's going to be it for me."

"Oh, sweetheart. You know I love you and I only want you to be happy - and after seeing the two of you in the same room for even three minutes, I have absolutely no doubts and no regrets in telling you I wholeheartedly approve - but I wasn't talking about you." He stopped absentmindedly shuffling the cards in his hands and looked up.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you're young and you've experienced love at first sight and it's only grown stronger because of the friendship you two share and the loyalty you have to one another. But Harvey has clearly led a different kind of life growing up and he's had different relationships than you, which turned him into the man he was before he met you - a man that probably thought he couldn't be betrayed by anybody because he never let anyone close enough to hurt him. You're that close now, Michael, and it's a wonderful burden to be blessed with, because it means you'll always protect each other."

Mike wasn't sure what to say - his grandmother had never spoken like this before. Granted, he'd never brought anyone serious to meet her that she had to give her official stamp of approval to, but this was more than he could take in.

"Mike Ross?" A man stood at the door with a brown paper sack and a notecard bearing the 'Pearson Darby' logo (he briefly wondered how many Pearson Hardman notecards had been thrown out).

"Yeah, that's me."

"Great, just sign here - everything's taken care of." Mike looked at the receipt and saw it was from the sushi place across from the firm that he and Rachel occasionally ate at when they were researching late. _Harvey_. Not that the notecard hadn't been the first tipoff. "Have a great day," he said, handing Mike the notecard and leaving immediately. Harvey must have already taken care of the tip.

He flipped the card open.

 _Eat Me. PS. About 2,000._ What was ab—of course Harvey knew he would wonder how many of the damn notecards had been thrown out.

He sent a quick text to Harvey when the nurse came in with Edith's lunch tray.

 _Thanks for lunch. Were you attempting to be inappropriate or quote_ Alice in Wonderland? He received a reply almost immediately.

 _If you think I'd ever willingly quote_ Alice _, we need to have a completely different conversation tonight._

He looked up to see his grandmother giving him a knowing look and gave her a smile in return.

"Don't worry, Grammy. You'll never have to send that Christmas card."

* * *

 **A/N: Please Review! :)**


	5. Permission and Forgiveness

**A/N:** Warnings and disclaimers are all in the first three chapters.

* * *

"Morning, Donna."

"Morn—office, now." He knew he was caught - why else would he have the smile on his face that he had to have right now?

"Can I have my coffee first?" She pointed at the cup resting on the ledge.

"There's your coffee; now get your ass in the damn office." The door had barely closed when she started on him, although he was choosing to look out the window behind his desk. "Seriously? _Seriously?_ I've been warning you for over a year and you do it anyway?" He turned to face her.

"Let's talk about that, shall we? You knew how he felt and _why_ and you didn't say a goddamn thing - care to share?" She raised an eyebrow and put her hands on her hips; this was the take-no-prisoners Donna; he'd have to tread lightly if he didn't want her giving him decaf for the next week.

"You're the one that said the bylaws are against it. I figured by the time he was no longer your associate you'd both have figured one another out. Then when Scotty showed up, I wasn't sure what was going through your head - you were clearly in a better mood after spending the night with Mike than with Scotty, but you've sure as hell never wanted to actually talk about any of that with me. Plus Mike didn't want to come between the two of you."

"You let me think he believed the same thing I did - that he would lose his job if we went against the bylaws. I thought he considered his job more important and I respected that - if I'd known he thought he was protecting my job, I…well, I sure as shit probably wouldn't have been hooking up with Scotty for the last three months!" Donna let her hands drop from her hips; clearly she realized he was more irritated with himself than her, which meant her defensive stance and tone faded away.

"I kept it from you because he asked me to, and because it wasn't my place to make either of you aware of what the other was going through. I do support both of you and I think you'll be incredibly happy together - but it's also my job to support both of your jobs, and I had to balance that." He gave her an appreciative smile - he may be the better lawyer, but she was the better thinker when it came to things like that.

"Speaking of jobs, what kind of mood is Jessica in today?" Her jaw dropped.

"You're going to tell her? Does Mike know?" Harvey nodded.

He'd thought about it on the ride over from the hospital and realized that he and Mike needed to have a discussion, but if they kept coming back to the problem of the bylaws, they'd never get any further. And Jessica was the only one who could answer those questions.

Other than the kiss in the hospital, he and Mike hadn't broken any rules yet, which meant nothing could happen to either of them. If they waited until Monday to talk to Jessica, it was very possible (probable) they'd be rewriting the bylaws to make something they'd done "wrong" right. In this particular instance, maybe it was better to ask permission.

Although if Jessica refused, they'd probably be asking forgiveness, too.

"I'll tell him," he said, returning to the conversation with Donna. "I won't keep this from him, but we're talking tonight and I don't want everything we say to have to lead back to it depending on what Jessica says." She raised an eyebrow and gave him a pointed look.

"You? _Talking?_ " He shrugged.

"Mike's idea."

"Oh, I figured that. I just can't believe you agreed!"  
"Are you going to be like this all day?"

"Day…week…we'll see." She turned to walk back to her desk. "By the way, Jessica was in a pretty good mood last I saw her, but she has a meeting in an hour - and who knows how that could turn out - so I'd talk to her sooner than later."

Five minutes later he was barging into her office.

"I need to talk to you."

"Knocking, Harvey. I think you've picked up some habits from your puppy," Jessica said, still signing off on whatever form was in front of her without looking up. "Speak of…I noticed he wasn't wagging his tail around the office today. Everything alright?" He settled into his usual spot on her couch and braced himself. This was probably the most nervous he'd been in her office in a long time.

"His grandmother had a heart attack last night. She's fine," he insisted when she actually looked up in concern, "but I told him to take the day off. I didn't think he'd do much good here."

"That's almost human of you, Harvey. It's a trait I've noticed more and more in you these last few months. It's not terminal, is it?" He barely suppressed sticking his tongue out at her - he really had picked up some bad habits from Mike. God forbid he do that when meeting with a client.

"That's actually why I need to talk to you. I want to pursue a relationship with someone, but our bylaws are pretty strictly against it. I want to know if there's a way we can change them while still making them serve their intended purpose."

Suddenly Jessica looked very interested. She put the pen down and came over to take a seat in the armchair across from him.

"Harvey, the only bylaws we have prohibit relationships between direct reports." He didn't say anything; she'd obviously figured it out. She just couldn't believe it.

 _Join the club_ , he thought mockingly.

"Really?" He spread his hands in a way that clearly said, _What can you do?_ "I can't decide if I saw that coming or not. Well, Harvey, you know the easy fix already."

"Jessica, when have you ever known me to pick the easy fix?"

"That may be so, but the purpose of that rule is pretty obvious. I presume you already have an idea of how to adjust them to still serve that purpose?" Was his name Harvey Specter?

"I don't get any power over reward or discipline…in the workplace, Jessica, jesus" he added at her smirk. "I can't fire him or put him on probation, but I also can't affect his pay or position. We sign a contract that says you and Louis have to agree on anything I request in that regard. He's still my associate, and I still control the cases he works on and part of his workload."

"And if I say no?"

"Then you and the rest of the firm get to put up with a serious amount of sexual tension until he makes junior partner." She raised an eyebrow, but let him continue. "To be honest, I'm not sure. Neither of us said anything to the other until today because we both thought the bylaws would affect the other's position; we're talking about what we're planning on doing about all of this tonight."

"Talking?"

"You and Donna are never going to let this go, are you?" She shook her head with a laugh and he grumbled a bit, but said nothing. She hadn't actually answered his question one way or the other yet.

"I'm think that's reasonable," Jessica finally said after a long moment - too long. She'd surveyed Harvey and apparently found what she was looking for before agreeing; he wondered what it was she'd found. "But I'll only agree to it if Louis does, too. I won't force him to agree to change the bylaws - you know how he feels about his bylaws." Harvey chuckled; Louis loved the damn things.

"Deal."

"And you do three pro bono cases."

"One."

"Two - you and Mike each take one." He was about to counter when he realized it was actually a pretty good deal.

"Fine, but only if Louis agrees." She nodded.

"I'd recommend bringing him one of his cranberry bars." He smirked and, after thanking her with a nod and a wink, prepared himself to deal with Louis.

First he had lunch to order and a note to write.

SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS

"Grammy, have you seen my bag?" Mike peeked under her hospital bed, but it wasn't there either. "I thought I set it on that chair, but I just realized I haven't seen it since I got here."

"Harvey must have had you pretty distracted," she said with a chuckle. "I'm surprised you didn't you notice he was wearing it when he left." He furrowed his eyebrows and thought back to the hallway - his hands gripping Harvey's jacket, Harvey's hands holding him tight…a leather strap on Harvey's left shoulder…

"Son of a bitch…"

"Michael, someone with your memory should know better than to use such language around me when I've reminded you so many times!" He felt bad enough to at least _look_ sorry.

"Sorry, Grammy. I just can't believe I didn't notice. How am I supposed to get any work done without it, though?"

"I think that's the point, dear. He gave you the day off, so use it - go down to the gift shop and get yourself a book or take a walk! You shouldn't spend your whole day off cooped up in a hospital with a crotchety old woman!"

"You know I'd love nothing more," he teased, though he stood and stretched a bit. "I'll go for a walk to the park, but only because I can see you're tired and want to sleep."

"That's a good boy. Now shoo!" But she said it with a fond smile and a chuckle and he knew she didn't mean it. He had a stop to make anyway.

He wasn't looking forward to this conversation, but he had to find out eventually.

"Hi, Michael Ross. I'm the next of kin for Edith Ross, and I'll be the one handling the medical bills - could you let me know what they're currently at?" The woman typing his information in looked like she needed to take a walk as well - she looked bored out of her mind in her pink scrubs with little Disney characters patterned across them.

"Looks like it's already taken care of, young man." He furrowed his brow.

"That can't be right - she doesn't have insurance. And even if it did, that shouldn't have covered all of it." The woman shook her head, cracking a piece of gum as she did.

"Nuh-uh, wasn't insurance. Looks like the card on record is registered to a Mr. Harvey Specter - note at the bottom says he's the partner of next-of-kin." It took everything in him to not choke when she said 'partner'.

"Thanks." He wanted to be mad - he should be mad, right? Harvey had known Mike would be averse to him paying his grandmother's bills, so he did it without asking. And yet, Mike knew this was Harvey's version of caring, which meant he couldn't be mad even if he wanted to.

Of course, this was going to be a part of their conversation later tonight. But Mike wouldn't hold it against him.

He was about ten feet away from the door when—

"Mike!" He'd know that voice anywhere - it signaled the start of another two week battle of trying to decide if he should cut Trevor out of his life or just deal with it for two more weeks. He never smoked with him - usually they just went out for drinks, Trevor crashed at his place, and he was ten times more tired when he showed up for work those weeks.

He also spent limited time with Harvey since he never wanted the two of them in the same room if it could be helped. Ever since Harvey had saved Trevor by offering to be the attorney of the guys who probably would have killed Trevor _and_ Mike, he felt it was best if they just stayed separate. Mostly because Harvey would probably make backhanded comments and give his childhood friend dirty looks and Trevor would return the favor - Trevor didn't really understand gratitude.

Well, he did, but Harvey made it pretty difficult to be grateful. Not that he hadn't earned the right - he did walk into a room with four people with guns intending to screw them out of ten grand.

Still, Trevor was a part of his life, and Mike wasn't the kind of guy to just turn his back on his friend. So he turned and opened his arms to receive the hug Trevor was about to give him.

"I stopped by your firm, but that hot redhead told me your grams was in the hospital. Why didn't you call me, man?" Mike shrugged, not wanting to reveal his first thought last night had been _get to Harvey_ , not to text Trevor.

"I've been with her pretty much the whole time - I had to call into work to let them know, though." Trevor nodded and slung an arm around his shoulder. "Grammy's taking a nap, so she told me to get out and take a walk."

"Well then let's walk, Ross."

SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS

This time, Harvey knocked.

"Louis, do you have a few minutes?" Apparently knocking was a no-win situation; if he didn't knock, Louis was angry. If he did…well, now he looked suspicious.

"What do you want, Harvey?" He put the granola bar on Louis' desk and took a seat on the other side of it, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

"Louis, pranks and all that aside, you know we're friends, right?" The other man froze with his hand over the granola bar. Harvey couldn't blame him; he'd never actually admitted it out loud before, especially to the man himself.

"You don't want something; you _need_ something. Well, you know what, Harvey? I needed your associate here today, and I notice a distinct absence of Mike Ross, so whatever you need can wait." Clearly, admitting they were friends had simply made Louis think he was playing a joke on him.

"Mike's at the hospital with his grandmother who had a heart attack last night, so whatever you need, I'll be happy to help you with whatever it is you needed Mike to do," another pointed look, this time with much further narrowed eyes, but Harvey plowed through, "after you listen to me." There were a few moments of silence and appraising from Louis before he closed his eyes and let out a sigh.

"Is she ok?" Harvey smiled and nodded; he had forgotten Louis had a soft spot for grandmothers, especially given how much he missed his own.

"Heart attack, but she seemed completely fine when I saw her this morning."

"You went to see Mike's grandmother?"

"It's why I need to talk to you." Louis raised an eyebrow - what _was_ it with that facial expression on everybody he talked to today? - and gave him a smirk.

"Let me guess - you need me to change the bylaws to allow whatever you and Ross have started?" Harvey shook his head.

"We haven't started anything yet, but we don't want to have to ask forgiveness."

"So you're asking permission?" Harvey thought Louis' derision and disbelief was completely valid given how often Harvey flouted the rules.

"Jessica said if you agreed to my outline, writing them up to follow your standards of course, she'd allow it." And as he laid it out the way he had for Jessica, Louis stopped him to ask questions, nodded, shook his head, and took notes on the legal pad in front of him. "I'd also like it if you were the one who drew up the contract - if you have the time of course. I trust you to keep it in line with the bylaws and be as fair to Mike and me and possible." Louis nodded, and Harvey shot him an actual smile.

"Thanks, Louis. I knew I could count on you. Now, what did you need Mike to take care of?" Louis gave a little cough and turned red, and Harvey knew he'd been bluffing. "Well, if that changes, let me know."

He turned to walk out, but Louis' voice stopped him.

"Harvey? I'm glad you feel like you can trust me with this." Harvey smiled, still facing the door, and walked out with a "me, too."

SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS

 _I've got a surprise for you tonight._ Mike smiled and sent a reply while Trevor was still tossing stale hot dog bun bits in the pond.

 _If it's about the hospital bill, I already know._

 _I knew you'd say no if I asked._

 _We're talking about that tonight, but I'm not mad - thank you_

 _So I'm safe?_

 _This time. Was that the surprise?_

 _No._

 _Then I can't wait._

 _I'll pick you up around 5._

 _Leaving early just because it's Friday? You slacker._

 _You spelled Senior Partner wrong. I'm allowed to leave early; you're the one that_ has _to stay until 7._

 _That schedule is really going to mess with our evenings._

 _It hasn't yet._

"New boyfriend?" Mike nearly dropped his phone on the concrete when Trevor appeared over his shoulder.

"What? Why?" Trevor laughed, walking over to the nearby park bench and dropping down.

"You mean besides how defensive you just got? I haven't seen you smile like that at a text since Jeremy."

"That was five years ago!" Trevor shrugged.

"Not my fault you don't date. Either way, that's the same dopey face you got last time, so I have to assume it's your puppy-love face." Mike blushed, but walked over to sit on the park bench next to Trevor.

"We're not dating yet - technically, anyway. We spend enough time together that I suppose you could say we are, but we just admitted how we felt, so now we have to talk it out." Trevor made a mockingly sick face.

"Ick, talking. That's why I don't do relationships." Mike snorted.

"Yeah, _that's_ why." Trevor gave him a small punch in the arm, but smiled anyway.

Times like these made Mike wonder why he wanted to cut Trevor out of his life so badly. Most of it was probably because Harvey wanted him to cut Trevor out, but there was a part of him - the part that still remembered Dean Eliots - that knew it would bite him in the ass one day.

"So you gonna tell me about this guy?" He figured admitting it was Harvey wouldn't do much good, so he kept it vague.

"Brilliant, very attractive, smooth talker, and one of the most sarcastic men you will ever meet. He likes to pretend he doesn't care about anyone, and most people believe him, but once you get to know him, you realize it's just an act."

"Where'd you meet him?"

"Hotel." Trevor threw him a look and Mike realized belatedly how that sounded and started laughing. "No, no, NO! Not like that - I had a meeting at the hotel and we bumped into each other. Started talking - found out we had a little in common. The longer we hung out, the more we realized it was a good fit."

"So what's been stopping you?"

"Work, mostly." So far, Mike was amazed with how honest he'd been.

"Same thing that stops you from having any fun," Trevor joked, indicating Mike's unwillingness to smoke pot and risk a positive drug test. Mike didn't mention that he had no interest in smoking pot ever again and _not_ because of work.

"Let's go back to the hospital - I'm sure Grammy will be happy to see you."

* * *

 **A/N: Please Review!**


	6. Signing a Contract

**A/N:** Disclaimers and warnings and such have already been posted.

 **Additional A/N:** I am in no way, shape, or form a lawyer, nor have I done extensive research on any of this. If you have a problem with anything in my story, that is your right, but it's kind of silly to post a criticism I can't respond to that could - if I chose to take it - would make the story better. I don't have a problem with receiving criticism; I have a problem who can't even post it under their own name so that a discussion could be had about something that is a matter of _fact_ , rather than _opinion._

Enjoy :)

* * *

Mike realized belatedly that 'happy' probably wasn't the best word to describe his grandmother's reaction, but at least he knew now where he got his amazing ability to act from.

She asked Trevor polite questions that were purposely steered away from Jenny - Mike hadn't said anything about the drug deal he'd almost done that got him the job with Harvey over a year ago, but of course Trevor had done something else to slip up with her. Mike refusing to hang out with them more than necessary also prompted her to be a bit more suspicious, but he maintained that his connection to their breakup was tenuous at best. Trevor, at least, didn't seem to blame him.

"Hey, Mike, where's your bag? I don't think I've seen you without the damn thing since you started your swanky new job." Mike knew Trevor only liked his job because it had come in handy (and probably would again) in defending Trevor. It was also probably the reason Trevor had yet to start talking shit about the "hardass boss that rode Mike like it was his job". Nevermind that is kind of was...in more ways than one, hopefully.

"At the office," he answered casually, settled in one of the chairs and halfheartedly participating in Trevor and Grammy's conversation. "Last night, they called me while I was still at work." Trevor didn't see Grammy's raised eyebrow, but Mike obviously did - he didn't have to say anything for her to know not to mention Harvey. Lucky, too, considering Trevor's next chosen conversation topic.

"So has Grammy met the new boyfriend?"

"I have, and I wholeheartedly approve." She gave a coy smile that Mike knew meant she wasn't giving anything up - especially considering it was clear she liked Harvey a hell-of-a-lot more than Trevor. There was a time when that would have crushed Mike.

"He's not technically my boyfriend, yet," Mike replied in a falsely exasperated tone. Well, mostly false.

He knew he should be grateful that Trevor came to visit him as soon as he heard about his grandmother, but it was hard to be glad to see someone who literally dragged problems everywhere he went. And not just any problems - problems for Mike. Specifically Mike AND Harvey, because no matter how he tried to handle it himself, one stern look and a _tell me_ from Harvey always had Mike spilling his guts.

And Harvey never held it against him. Despite his constant reminders that Trevor was an anchor - and Mike's awareness of how right he was - Harvey always helped Trevor get out of whatever scrape he was in. It had never gotten to the level it had before - the event that caused Harvey to sign a retainer agreement with one of Trevor's drug contacts - but it was always _something_.

"Hey, Ross, how about we go out tonight?" Mike shook his head.

"Can't. Remember when I said he and I were talking? We're talking tonight." He dug his keys out of his pocket and threw them at Trevor, who caught them with a shocked look. "You're welcome to stay at my apartment, but there's a very good chance I won't be there all weekend.

SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS

He was outside the hospital at 4:59 with a grin on his face so large that he was fairly certain anyone who had met him before would have to take a second glance to make sure it was, in fact, Harvey Specter.

Harvey Specter could not possibly care less what anyone else thought. He only cared about the man walking towards him dressed in faded denim and a soft green sweater that he could still remember the feel of from earlier. He tried to remember ever seeing Mike dressed so casually and drew a blank - it was a look he realized he wanted to see more of.

With his usual cocky grin, he held the bluetooth speaker in his hand blasting _Simple Minds_ just a little higher and leaned back against the red Aston Martin. He saw the exact moment Mike realized what was going on as he swept his eyes over the scene in front of him.

"Really? You know that's not the song he plays, right?" Harvey shrugged and tossed the speaker into his backseat, sliding his hands into his pockets.. It continued to play, but not loud enough to interrupt their conversation.

"I know, but I figured if we could fit three iconic movies into one scene, it'd be more impressive."

"Careful, you don't want to use all of them at once."

"Between the two of us, I don't think we could use all of them if we even tried."

Harvey could see the indecision in Mike's eyes - should he go around to the other side of the car and get in or do what they were clearly both thinking about? He made the decision himself - how could he do anything else with Mike standing so close? - and brought one hand out of his pocket, softly took Mike's wrist, and pulled him close. Mike was already tilting his head and closing his eyes before their lips touched.

He knew before Mike had even spoken one word that something had worked him up today, but Harvey felt tension leaving his boy even as they stood there doing nothing more than moving their lips against one another. He knew the feeling - he'd felt like he was on the edge of a knife all day.

Threading his fingers through Mike's belt loops, he roughly pulled the younger man close and gently licked into his mouth. The dual sensations caused Mike to let out a tiny gasp and then, as Harvey felt the hardness responding to his own (and probably ruining the line of his trousers), a loud moan.

He roughly tore his lips away, but kept their foreheads together, one hand moving up to grip Mike's neck tightly.

"Jesus, Mike, if you make those noises in public I am not going to be held responsible for my actions."

"If you kiss me in public like that, then neither am I." Harvey opened his eyes to see his associate clearly challenging him. _That's my boy._ He leaned in close to whisper his response, loving the shiver that he felt run up Mike's spine.

"Then let's go somewhere not public."

SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS

Because Harvey was the one driving and, therefore, had to pay attention to the road, Mike didn't get to engage in quite as much touching on the ride back as he'd hoped. And, of course, Harvey was the perfect goddamn gentleman the entire way up the elevator and to the top floor condo.

Mike had a feeling it had to do with the text from earlier, so he took mercy on Harvey. Ignoring the disdainful side-scowl he got for toeing his shoes off, tossing his jacket across the kitchen chair, and throwing himself into the couch, he settled in for whatever it was Harvey had to tell him.

"So? What's my surprise? You look a little wound up." He sent Harvey his most suggestive leer. "Or is that still from before?" Harvey did little more than smile back at him. Mike wasn't sure if he should be worried.

"It's a little of both," he said, laying his own jacket delicately over the chair Mike's didn't occupy and sinking into the cushion beside Mike, allowing the younger man's feet to rest in his own lap. "I knew we were going to talk tonight, and I knew that if we did that as things stood, we'd keep coming back to the matter of what we were going to do about the bylaws...so I talked to Jessica." Mike immediately tried to jerk his feet back to sit upright, but Harvey kept a firm grip.

Still, he liked to think he'd looked pretty intimidating in that particular moment, if the look on Harvey's face was anything to go by.

"You what? Why would you do that without me, Harvey? Why would you do it at all?"

"Are you mad because I did it without telling you, or because you're worried about the outcome?" Mike stopped short and forced himself to answer the question honestly; the realization of the answer deflated him a little. But only a _little_.

"It's a little of both. This affects both of us, Harvey - why would you keep that from me?"

"I didn't. No matter what she said, I was going to tell you - it didn't seem like an over-the-phone discussion though." Mike couldn't fault him that logic. Then again, Harvey was the best lawyer the city had ever seen - of course he had a perfectly logical defense for his actions.

"I told you before that I have always trusted you when you told me to hang back, that you'd take care of it, and I have. But you need to understand that just because we work together doesn't mean the rules are always the same in any relationship we have outside of the office. You have to know I'm not just going to submissively agree to whatever you think is best if I disagree." Harvey raised an eyebrow at him in response.

"When have you ever done that IN the office?" Mike huffed, but gave a shrug to concede that particular point.

"My _point_ is that in the office, you have the power to overrule me after I've said my piece. It can't be that way here, Harvey." Mike was surprised to see actual _regret_ crossing the other lawyer's face. He'd expected a half-hearted apology with a promise to work on it that Mike would be forced to try and get him to keep.

"I know. But I also knew that worrying about the bylaws was what kept us apart for over a year - I didn't want them to come between us this weekend." Was...was Harvey...god _damit_ the man was using _his_ sad-eyed puppy dog look. On MIKE! Unacceptable…Mike had to stay strong.

"I get why you did it Harvey - I just wish you'd asked me."

"I know, and I'm sorry - you know I walk a thin line between when I ask for permission and forgiveness."

"I don't want you to ask permission, Harvey. I just want it to be a discussion." Harvey nodded again before the familiar smirk crawled back onto his face.

"Don't you even want to know what she said?"

SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS

Harvey mentally conceded that he was inevitably going to do something emotionally inept again sometime in the probably near future but, realizing that he was forgiven, decided it could wait for another time. He reached into the briefcase he'd brought over with him and handed Mike the contract Louis had spent the afternoon drawing up for them.

"Jessica and I had Louis draw this up - I never believed he'd get it done quite so fast but he usually does his work in order of how important he feels it is, so that says something about how he feels about us." He got nervous as he didn't receive an answer from Mike as he read through the contract. Finally - _finally_ \- after what was only five minutes (but felt like an hour), Mike flipped back to the front page and placed the folder on the coffee table, turning his attention to Harvey with a grin.

"So you can't threaten to fire me anymore?"

"No, but I can still give you ungodly amounts of work so you don't get too cocky, Rookie."

"Little late for that." Harvey conceded the point with a shrug. "So what did Jessica want in return? Contract or not, she's a big fan of not getting something for nothing."

"We each do a pro bono."

"So I do two pro bonos?"

"Nope - we each do one." Mike raised an eyebrow in surprise and Harvey moved one hand from where it rested atop Mike's feet and squeezed his calf in reassurance. "I'm doing this right, and I'm not risking you just because I'm not a fan of pro bono work."

"You didn't even do your own pro bono when Jessica threatened your senior partner position."

"Priorities." And wasn't that worth it just for Mike's smile? "And you'll notice that both Jessica and Louis have already signed it."

"But you haven't?"

"I figured this was one of the things we should discuss first. Signing the contract isn't necessary, but it's the only option we have until you make junior partner. Even if you're not MY associate…"

"I'm still a direct report. I still think this deal for two pro bonos is suspicious."

"Well, she did want 3."

"Still." Harvey didn't say he'd been thinking the same thing, but when he remembered Jessica's smile while she was signing the contract, he told Mike his theory.

"To be honest, I think they both just have a soft spot for two people in love, particularly when one of those two makes the other less of an asshole and a better lawyer at the same time. And there's the added bonus they get to make fun of me."

"I'm not that much of an asshole," Mike teased, obviously knowing that wasn't what Harvey had meant. Then…" _love_?"

"Mike, whatever else we decide or don't tonight or tomorrow or next week or wherever we end up, I at least want you to know this. Even if I never say it again - and it may be a very long time, because we both know I'm emotionally stunted - " He gave Mike an exasperated eyebrow raise at the undignified snort, but continued, "I do care about you. And I love you."

Suddenly Mike's legs were out of his lap, swung down to the floor, and he had an armful of associate as Mike launched himself across the couch. Harvey didn't have time to respond before Mike's lips fell on his.

Harvey leaned back, his head falling upon the armrest of the couch as he kept Mike clutched close - not that it mattered; Mike was pressing himself into Harvey and the couch, arms wrapped around Harvey's neck.

He tried to rip ease his lips away and speak, but he barely got a choked " _Mike_ " out before the other man surged forward again. With their position ( _not_ that Harvey was complaining in _any_ way), Harvey had no power over the situation.

And why did he need it?

His left hand pressed against Mike's lower back, causing them both to release a moan as their growing arousals brushed against one another. Harvey took the opportunity to brush the inside of Mike's mouth with his tongue and felt a spike of heat when Mike responded as enthusiastically as he did just about everything.

Mike finally released him, but only so he could start moving along Harvey's jaw to start on what was sure to be a particularly outstanding mark by morning.

"Mike... _Mike_." It was difficult for Harvey to hold onto his resolve, especially when Mike lifted his head and his normally bright blue eyes were darkened and unfocused with want. "I'd really like to take you on a date first." Some of the focus returned, though his pupils were still heavily dilated and the ice blue was still darker than usual. "I'm bad at relationships, but I know I don't want to start this one the way the ones I've had fail have."

He was nervous when Mike was silent for a few seconds, but then the other man gave a small nod and a wide grin, shifting his body down a few inches (which did _not_ help the situation Harvey found himself in initially, but it was made better ( _worse?_ ) when he realized they were no longer pressed cock to cock) and dropping his head to rest on Harvey's shoulder.

"So where are you taking me tomorrow then?"

SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS

Mike was pretty sure being high was nothing compared to this.

He'd been high on arousal before, but hookups and one-night stands usually ended with him feeling emptier than he had before. After he woke up one morning in college to find his wallet stolen, he'd decided at least getting high meant he got to choose how much to pay at the end of the night.

This was better than any of that. Harvey's arms were wrapped around his waist and pulling him close, his nose brushing through Mike's hair, and he could have sworn (for only a brief moment, but still) that Harvey's chest rumbled like he was...purring?

Something to file away for comic relief later.

"I hadn't decided yet, but I'm _very_ good at thinking on my feet."

"What, like some kind of lawyer?" He felt a nip at his ear in retaliation and chuckled, fingers playing with Harvey's tie before realizing he hadn't told Harvey about his visitor today.

"Harvey?"

"Mm?"

"Trevor came by the hospital today." He felt Harvey smile and press a kiss into his hair and looked up in confusion and then realized...Trevor had said "the hot redhead" told him Mike's grandmother was in the hospital. Which meant Donna would have told Harvey if Harvey hadn't seen Trevor himself.

"I know," Harvey said, confirming what Mike had just realized. "I was wondering if you would tell me. Seemed kind of gutsy of him to show up at the firm; he usually tries to avoid me." Mike didn't even try to dissuade him; Trevor and Harvey did very well staying out of each other's way on purpose.

Trevor hated that Harvey seemed to have replaced him - and did so much better than Trevor had.

Harvey simply hated Trevor.

Mike knew he should appreciate that they simply stayed out of one another's way to keep him from having to pick a fight with either of them about the other. He also knew, particularly given his reaction to hearing Trevor's voice earlier, that he cared far more about Harvey than Trevor.

After all, he'd told Harvey that Trevor was in town. He most certainly had not admitted to Trevor that he was in love with Harvey.

"I don't know why he's in town this time, but he's staying at my apartment." Harvey's face twisted briefly in irritation. "I told him I probably wouldn't be there all weekend," Mike continued, lowering his voice and peering up at Harvey from under his eyelashes. He briefly felt irritation at acting so shy - that wasn't him at _all_ , and he and Harvey both knew it - but Harvey's facial expression made it totally worth it.

"And what made you think that?" Harvey's hand came up to card through Mike's hair as he asked this.

"Maybe because my extremely attractive, kind," Harvey snorted," _kind_ , loving boyfriend has a very comfortable bed with a view and privacy."

"I knew it; you're only with me for my bed."

"And the view."

"Outside or inside?" Obviously he knew which he preferred.

"Do I have to choose?" The hand that wasn't carding through his hair tightened briefly on his back and then dug into his side. "Ah!...Har-Harvey, that tickles...don't do that!" Of course, that only served to make him do it again. "Objection! Leading the witness!"

"The witness was very easily led," Harvey whispered, kissing Mike's forehead with a grin.

" _That_ is not a legal defense, and you know it!" Harvey shrugged, laughing when Mike's stomach made itself known. "You know, now that I think about it, I believe I was promised pizza and beer." He made no motion to get up, though, until Harvey's fingers dug into his side again. "Fine!"

Mike rolled off Harvey and onto the floor, coming to sit in front of the table where the contract had flown. He didn't even look at Harvey as he grabbed the pen sitting beside it and signed his name with a bit of a flourish and a very large grin.

* * *

 **A/N: Please Review! :)**


	7. Bail-Outs

**A/N:** Usual disclaimers and such - I don't own them.

Life is extremely busy and I rarely have time to write anymore; especially since I'm trying my hand at writing an original novel. But I realized I was really missing this story and one of my others, so for all of you who held hope that I would update, thank you! I've appreciated the reviews that have come in asking for it.

This story probably has a good couple of chapters left - probably four, maybe five. I'm going to do my best, but I also want to give this story the ending it deserves and I'm not actually quite sure what that is yet.

Thanks, and enjoy the next chapter of _In Another Life_

 **Warning:** Things get a little steamy in the beginning; not enough to warrant an upping of the rating, me-thinks, but enough to warrant a warning.

* * *

Mike woke up the next morning briefly disoriented by the sun hitting him from the wrong side. The solid weight around his waist and pressing into his back reminded him where he was and he wiggled to cuddle closer, threading his fingers through Harvey's over his stomach. Harvey shifted a little, but didn't seem to wake up.

He closed his eyes again, remembering the discussion the prior night.

" _I'm not so sure I trust you," Harvey had said warily, eyeing Mike with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. Mike had already stripped down to his boxers and slid under the covers._

" _Trust me or don't, but I am wonderfully comfortable already and not planning on leaving this bed." They had watched a few episodes of Star Trek, had a few beers, and kissed lazily in between both before heading for bed. The only thing that had stopped Mike from pushing for more was that he noticed Harvey was trying very hard to stick to his earlier request to wait._

" _You're a menace," Harvey had muttered, pulling his drawer open to grab a pair of sleep pants and a soft cotton tee. Mike would have preferred he leave them off, but he understood why Harvey was grabbing them._

" _And you're moving too slow, old man," Mike threw back, propping himself up on his elbows. He didn't miss the way Harvey's eyes trailed down his body to where it was hidden beneath the blanket, and he gave a slow wink when the man's eyes traveled back up to meet his._

" _Menace."_ And he was planning on being one again this morning.

In the past few hours, he had come to appreciate how their height differences seemed to compliment one another. Now, as he felt Harvey shift and a certain part of the man's anatomy pressed more insistently into him just _\- there_ \- he couldn't help the tiny groan that slid out as he gave a small press back.

"Mm... _Harvey,_ " he whispered, slowly rubbing his backside against the still-sleeping man, stifling the groans that tried to escape. He grinned when he felt a twitch from Harvey, but the grin turned into another groan when that twitch turned into a firm press. " _Oh, god..._ Harvey…"

Harvey's arm curled tighter around his stomach, and he reached his own hand back to clutch desperately at Harvey's hip, starting to rock forward and back. The whimpers and groans were coming of their own volition, much as he tried to stifle them.

" _Mike."_ He wasn't sure if the raspiness of the voice behind him was from sleep or arousal until he felt teeth scraping lightly over his neck. "Mike…" Harvey's hand slipped beneath the waistband on Mike's boxers to take a firm hold of him and Mike bent his head forward as he nearly choked on his next breath. His body was torn between thrusting forward into Harvey's tight grip or backwards to feel Harvey pressing _exactly_ where he wanted.

"Please, Harvey…"

"Come for me, Mike - just like this. _Come for me_." The low whisper in his ear followed by the shock of Harvey biting his neck - not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to sting - pushed him over the edge; he felt the stuttering of Harvey's hips behind him that said the other man had followed shortly after.

Despite the wet patch in his own boxers and along the front of Harvey's sleep pants - which he could feel behind him - Mike burrowed deeper into Harvey's embrace and turned his head to face his bed partner.

"Good morning," he whispered, kissing Harvey on the tip of his nose.

"Menace," Harvey laughed, returning the affectionate peck with a tiny wiggle of his fingers that had Mike squirming in his hold.

SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS

"Seriously, dude?" After he'd turned off the water, Harvey was able to hear Mike's voice from the living room. Only two words and he knew exactly who was on the other end of the line - _Trevor._

"I told you less than 24 hours ago where I was going to be last night; could you not have picked a better time to get picked up?" Harvey raised an eyebrow as he listened, toweling off his hair before wrapping the towel around his waist and padding towards the living room.

"No, you do not get to ask me how the night went; I'm justifiably pissed off, T!" A bit more silence and a sigh; Harvey came around the corner and saw Mike sitting with his head in his hand, hunched forward on the couch. He was torn between wanting to ease Mike's pain by being there for him or knocking the daylights out of Trevor. Deciding the latter would most likely not help any sort of situation, much less this one, he settled for dropping into the couch next to Mike and waiting.

"Yeah, I'll be there. You already knew I would; I'd love for there to be a minute where you're actually terrified I won't though, asshole." Harvey heard a laugh over the line and clenched his fist tightly, but made no other movements. Mike was looking over at him apologetically and Harvey knew already that half of their day had been cut short by an impending trip to the jail.

"You know I'll probably be bringing Harvey with, right?" Even Harvey heard the _what the fuck, why_ from his end. "Because while I'm busy being pissed as a hornet, he'll be calmly taking care of your shit despite the fact that neither of you likes each other. He couldn't be certain, but Harvey was fairly certain he heard _that's because he has a stick up his -_ "Trevor! For the love of god, if you want me to show up in an hour, you better keep that thought to yourself." And then Mike hung up the phone and threw it across the room.

"That's not a particularly good way to keep a phone intact, you know," Harvey laughed. Mike leaned over and curled himself into the other man in a way that looked completely uncomfortable, but Mike seemed to have no problem with it. He began carding his fingers through Mike's hair when he heard the response.

"I miss the days when you hung up with people by slamming the phone back on the receiver instead of pushing a button - it's not dramatic enough for situations that warrant it."

It was worth the slap Mike gave him when he asked, "are you even old enough to have used one of those phones, or have you just read about them?"

SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS

After a quick shower for Mike that resulted in him jumping into one of his spare suits (he'd probably need to start keeping casual clothes over as well), they slid into the back of the town car, Harvey handing Ray a jazz cd before getting in. It was his high-tension jazz cd; Harvey was trying to stay calm.

Despite his joking manner after Mike had hung up the phone, Harvey had been fairly silent since Mike got out of the shower. He had spoken only to ask which precinct Trevor was at - the one closest to Mike's apartment - and to remind him to grab his phone from the floor. Obviously, he was displeased with, once again, needing to bail someone out that never should have been this big of an issue to begin with.

He'd said nothing as Mike explained quickly that Trevor had been smoking in his apartment and another resident, clearly displeased with the smell, had called the cops and asked them to take care of it. Apparently it was a slow night because calls like that usually took awhile to respond to.

They'd kept Trevor in detox until the high wore off before allowing him his phone call.

The only thing keeping Mike calm about the situation was that, despite his silence, Harvey had reached over to lace his fingers with Mike's and was stroking the back of Mike's hand with his thumb.

They arrived and Mike walked straight to the front; apparently they'd waited long enough for all the usual Saturday morning bail-posters to have already done their waiting in line. The woman behind the glass looked in no way interested in being there; she was chewing her gum obnoxiously and barely paying attention to anything as she surfed various beauty sites, her acrylic red nails clacking on the keyboard.

"Hey there; I'm Mike Ross here to post Mr. Evans' bail?" The woman behind the counter nodded and typed a few things into her computer before pulling out a form and sliding it under the glass window.

"Just fill that out, hon. Bail is $1000; says here it was a misdemeanor. One of the officers will go back and get 'im." He filled out the form - second nature to him by now - and slid it and his credit card under the window. "Thanks, hon. It'll be a few minutes."

Mike stepped away from the window and went to stand against the wall beside Harvey.

"Misdemeanor; at least it's not a felony possession. He's learning," Mike said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. Harvey, apparently, was still not willing to joke about this.

"Maybe so, but you're not. I know you said he's a part of your life and I get that - even though we both know I don't like it - but if he's getting you dragged into this then I need to say something. He was smoking in _your_ apartment, Mike. If you'd been there, I might be here listening to you ask me to bail both of you out. Not to mention what it looks like at work." Mike sighed, looking away from Harvey.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I won't lie to you and say it's the last time, because neither of us would believe it. I just don't have it in me to cut him off." He physically felt the anger drain out of Harvey beside him before an arm came around his shoulders and pulled him in to give him what probably looked like just a friendly side-hug, but Mike knew was so much more.

Harvey opened his mouth to respond, but they heard the door open and Trevor strutted through. His face, bright when he saw Mike, soured at the sight of Mike's companion.

"Really? You had to grab Daddy just to spring me? I thought you were joking about bringing him! It was just bail; one of your neighbors is a snitch, dude." Mike rolled his eyes, trying to convey an apology to the officer standing behind Trevor. Clearly, Trevor had been a hassle, because the officer did not look amused.

"Are you Mike Ross?" Mike nodded. "The owner of the apartment where my officers picked Mr. Evans up?"

"Yes, that's right. But I wasn't home last night; I'm letting him stay at my apartment. And before you ask, there's nothing in the lease agreement prohibiting me from doing so, even if I'm not staying there." The cop looked Mike and his well-tailored suit up and down and, seeing the clean-pressed Harvey standing beside him using his best closer-stare, seems to back down. Apparently, whatever attempt he'd been about to make to get Mike to incriminate himself didn't seem so smart anymore.

Mike resisted the urge to smirk.

"You have a good day; try not to end up here again." Trevor, who was facing away from the cop but towards Mike, rolled his eyes and tried to share a smirk with his best friend that Mike did not return.

"Thank you, Officer."

As soon as they were outside, Trevor was his typical not-my-fault self.

" _Thank you, Officer. Yes, sir; no, sir._ Jeez, Mike, kiss-ass much?" He seemed to have forgotten about Harvey who, as per usual, was walking far enough in front of them to look separate but close enough to hear the conversation.

"T, this has gotta stop. This is the fourth time I've had to bail you out," and then Mike winced because he saw Harvey's shoulders tighten - he only knew about the time he'd had to save Trevor by becoming an attorney for Mike's almost-killer, not about the three times that had occurred between this time and that - and continued, "not including the time that ended with you on a bus to Montana." Where you should have stayed, he added silently. "I can't keep doing this."

"I know; you gotta pay your Gram's bills." Trevor at least had the decency to look mildly ashamed.

"And mine! I AM still paying off law school, you ass!" His friend snorted.

"Is that why you still live in that piece of shit apartment?"

"That, and so I don't get kicked out just because you like to smoke up when I specifically tell you not to." He didn't mention that he'd already paid for an apartment for Grams, but with her recent scare, she would probably never get the chance to use it. And with the way things were already progressing with Harvey after just a few days, it was unlikely he'd ever need to move in either.

Trevor seemed to notice Mike's extended silence and finally said, "Sorry to make you ditch loverboy - I assume things went well if that's who you were with before you picked up bossman to come get me?" Well, he was close.

"It's fine; we're going on a date later." Mike couldn't contain his smile at the thought of an entire day being with Harvey without worrying about work or trying to hide his feelings.

"I wanna meet the guy; especially if he makes you smile like that and Grams likes him. We should get dinner tomorrow before I skip town." Mike shook his head.

"How about you and I grab lunch tomorrow before we go visit Grams instead? I'm not sure if it's a good time for the two of you to meet yet."

"Ooh, shy? Fine, maybe next time. You going back there?"

"Yeah, Harvey's giving me a ride. Want to ride with? We can drop you back at mine." Trevor looked over to Harvey, who was leaning against the car, eyeing the two of them.

"Probably not." Mike smiled.

"Probably not."

SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS*SUITS

"You've bailed him out four times?" Harvey knew he was more irritated by the fact that he only knew about none of them than the fact that there _were_ four times. He also knew he'd never say that out loud.

"It's Trevor," Mike said, as if that explained everything. Loath as he was to admit, it technically did.

"That's my point, Mike. Look, I get it - no matter how much it irritates the shit out of me. I know if it weren't for him you never would have stumbled into that damn interview room that day. But dammit, Mike, the guy is still-"

"My friend, Harvey. And for now, you don't have to like it, but if this is going to work, you need to accept that he's still a part of my life. Just like he's going to have to accept that you're a part of mine when I tell him. I wasn't interested in having him lay into me right before we go on our first date," he added at Harvey's suspicious look.

"So you're planning on telling him at lunch tomorrow - right before you go visit your grandmother?" Mike shrugged, flipping Harvey's hand between them and tracing patterns on his palm. Harvey tried - and failed - to suppress the shiver that coursed through him at the tiny movements.

"I figure if he's a douche about it, he'll either keep it to himself in front of Grammy or just won't choose to come. And he'll either come around one day or you'll get your wish."

"Mike," he said with a resigned sigh. "No matter how I feel about him, he is _your_ friend; I would never make you an ultimatum like that."

"No, but he would, and that's his problem because I made my choice about that a long time ago, Harvey. And you might not, but Trevor sure as shit would." Harvey wanted to say something in response to that but he actually didn't have anything to say. Usually, he would have encouraged someone to pick their friends over their lovers; lovers weren't necessarily always there for you. But in this case…

"So!" The change in tone clearly meant Mike was changing the subject. "Where are you taking me on this first date?"

"Besides somewhere that you can get a change of clothes that isn't a suit?" He was not going back to Mike's apartment and dealing with Trevor right now. "You, me, Coney Island, and some stuffed animals won through a demonstration of ring toss." Mike was looking at him like he'd grown two more heads...and one of those heads looked like Louis.

"Harvey Specter wants to go to Coney Island?"

"Hey! I had a childhood!" Mike gave him a sidelong look that called bullshit. "Ok, so Donna insisted on dragging me one day because _she_ had a childhood and wanted to relive it."

"And?" Mike knew he was holding something back for dramatic effect; when had the kid gotten so good at reading him? Or had he always been able to?

"I tried to play that stupid milk bottle game and it's obviously rigged so I lost and I got pissed and practiced until I didn't lose. And then proceeded to do the same with three other games, including ring toss."

"Those games cost like $5 to play, don't they?"

"And?"

"Right, I forgot. You'll pay whatever it takes to keep that ego intact," Mike laughed, flipping their hands between them and idly drawing patterns on Harvey's palm. He suppressed a shiver and kept his best 'no-nonsense' face on while he answered.

"That ego's going to win you a giant stuffed animal today."

"Fine - impress me."

* * *

 **A/N:** A bit of a shorter chapter, but I didn't want this and the date in the same chapter so - meh.

 _Please Review! :)_


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